Vacation Observations Bring Parents to Al-Anon Family Groups

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Al-Anon Family Groups

More than one-third of Al-Anon Family Group members have reported that their child or stepchild has a drinking problem.

Virginia Beach, VA (PRWEB) May 27, 2014

While families switch from school to summer mode, vacation time can challenge parents like never before. “Sometimes it is difficult to tell when your child is in trouble with alcohol,” according to Al-Anon Information Analyst Pamela Walters. “Other times, a parent just knows that something is wrong. More than one-third of Al-Anon Family Group members have reported that their child or stepchild has a drinking problem.”

Anonymity is an important principle of the Al-Anon program. “Anonymity and confidentiality in Al-Anon Family Groups,” Walters said, “make it possible for parents to be open and honest about what is really happening in their child’s life.”

Before Leslie Anne became an anonymous Al-Anon member, her son got his driver’s license and everything seemed to spiral out of control. He lost weight, woke with severe stomach pains, and just wasn’t himself anymore. As part of her son’s diagnosis and treatment for alcoholism, Leslie Anne received a recommendation for herself. Her son’s counselor advised her to go to a local Al-Anon Family Group.

Walters said, “Admitting that there is a drinking problem in a son or daughter can be the first step to recovery for parents who attend local Al-Anon meetings. For Leslie Anne, her visit to an Al-Anon meeting came as a result of her son’s horrible traffic accident. No one died or was paralyzed, despite one sibling’s broken neck, but the seriousness of her son’s situation was unmistakable.”

“I was so sad and sorry for myself,” Leslie Anne said. “My pain and heartbreak were so great, it was nearly impossible to speak. I have to say that Al-Anon saved me.” Today Leslie Anne shares her recovery story at local meetings and in Al-Anon’s monthly magazine, “The Forum,” so she can support other parents who might otherwise feel like they are all alone.

Al-Anon Family Groups are for families and friends who have been affected by a loved one’s drinking. Nearly 16,000 local groups meet throughout the U.S., Canada, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico every week. Al-Anon Family Groups meet in more than 130 countries, and Al-Anon literature is available in more than 40 languages. Al-Anon Family Groups have been offering strength and support to families and friends of problem drinkers since 1951. Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc. acts as the clearinghouse worldwide for inquiries from those who need help or want information about Al-Anon Family Groups and Alateen, its program for teenage members.

For more information about Al-Anon Family Groups, go to http://www.al-anon.alateen.org and read a copy of “Al-Anon Faces Alcoholism 2014.” Find a local meeting by calling toll-free: 1-888-4AL-ANON.

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